Change for Change

“Find a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.”

Most have you have probably heard this expression before. You’re walking down the crowded busy street when all of a sudden, you spot with your little eye honest Abe smiling up at you from the sidewalk. You stop in your tracks. You don’t care if you cause a minor collision with the hoards of pedestrians busily trying to get to where they need to go nor do you mind if you look a little awkward as you bend over in the middle of a cross walk for no apparent reason. All of the effort is worth it because this little copper coin has just landed you a day full of luck…and who couldn’t use a bit of that every now and then?

There is no scientific proof that simply picking up a penny will give you stupendous luck for the rest of the day, but I like to think it does. I’m not superstitious gal (with the exception of my lucky socks and baseball hat that I HAVE to wear every time the Brewers play) and generally don’t take too much stake in things like this, but there is a certain feeling of optimism and hope that you get whenever you do find that ‘lucky penny’ that is insurmountable. It’s the belief that maybe, just maybe, this little coin will have some sort of positive impact on your life. I guess you could say it has a pretty powerful placebo effect; the penny may just be that, a penny. However, you trick yourself into thinking that it is some magical coin which possesses some sort of lucky influence. In turn, it makes you do things and behave a certain way that ultimately changes the outcome of your day…you make your own luck.

I was thinking about the powerful yet subtle effects that finding a lucky penny brings as I was taking a stroll down my block earlier this afternoon. I was crossing the street when I happened to glimpse out of the corner of my eye my very own lucky penny. I stooped down and snatched the coin up, turning it around in my fingers for a brief moment. It was very old–minted all the way back in 1945–and covered in dirt, but I put it in my pocket anyway for safe keeping, hoping that it would bring good luck. Whether it actually would or not I didn’t know, but I instantly felt like I had a bit more of a skip in my step, like anything could happen. It may sound a little silly, but I am that crazy person who you see bending over in the supermarket, on the sidewalk and in the aisles of Target, dropping bags and purses (and that one time flashing some poor guy my skivies…just one reason this chica doesn’t do skirts) all to get a mere penny. I have done it since I was a wee lass and probably will continue to do so. Like I said, the lucky penny may just be a penny, but it kind of gives me hope that it is much more than that.

If finding a penny on the ground could turn my frown upside down and turn a very blah sort of day into something great, I wondered if it could do the same for other people. How cool would it be if I could change someone’s hour or day or life simply by emptying out my pocket change?

I know what it’s like to be going through a hard time, to be having a bad day or to feel like things are just not going your way. Life is hard and stressful, full of pressures and expectations. It can get pretty overwhelming at times for sure but I know also know what it’s like to suddenly feel like you can make it, like you have the strength and the courage and the power to turn things around for the better. It is such a great feeling. Now I know it takes a heck of a lot more than finding a silly penny to make these things happen (but wouldn’t it be great if it didn’t?) but setting up an opportunity for people to find their ‘luck’, to put a smile on their face and a skip in their step is a huge step in the right direction.

That is why I came up with and have started the ‘Change for Change’ initiative. I plan on spreading a little ’luck’ everywhere I go by sporadically dropping and leaving pennies in areas where people are likely to see, and if they so choose, pick up. I am not sure if anyone follows the “find a penny pick it up” notion quite like I do, but I am willing to take that chance in hopes of brightening someone’s day and giving them the same hope that I receive whenever I stumble across that infamous one cent piece. The whole concept is really so easy and fun to do. Break a dollar? Find some change in your couch? Have a purse or bag or wallet that weighs a bajillion pounds due to all that loose coinage happening in there? Take some of those pennies and set them aside for “Change for Change’. When you find a prime spot to drop them, do it. It’s that simple. I completed my first penny-drop today, using the very penny I had found earlier, outside of a Starbucks and actually got to see my efforts pay off. A little girl found my penny just moments after I had made the drop and squealed with delight as she picked it up, smiling ear to ear and exclaiming to her mom, “Mom look what I found! A lucky penny!” I’m not gonna lie, it made my heart smile just a wee bit.

I would absotively-positutely love it if you would like to join me in this challenge, paying it forward and changing lives, once penny at a time (and please feel free to share your stories with me if you do!).

I hope you all have a very lucky rest of your Tuesday guys!

Fight Fear with Fear

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope that this week has been great for you so far

Get ready to put on your reading pants my friends because I’ve got a slightly wordy one for you today.

You see, last night as I made my way home on the 40 D bus, like I do almost every day when quitting time rolls around, I found myself fighting a serious case of ‘Nascar Brain’. I am sure you have all felt it at one point or another, your mind racing a million mph, thinking and analyzing and pondering every idea from here to the moon. Even the complete hilariousness that is Weird Al (just downloaded his new CD on the i-pod…super funny!) couldn’t deter me away from my rampant thoughts. Don’t you just wish sometimes that your brain had an off switch or a mute button? That on occasions when  your brain is going a mile a minute, you could take a breather from yourself and just, well, be? I certainly do. They say a great mind is a terrible thing to waste, but every now and then, I don’t think it would hurt if it decided to take a quick siesta.

I’m sorry…where was I again? Oh that’s right…Last night as I headed home in a stupor of thoughts, one of the things that was occupying my frontal lobe was the concept of fear–something I must admit I struggle with on a near daily basis, or I used to anyway.

I’m not talking about your quote unquote “typical” kinds of fears like spiders, heights, or that this country will never find a cure for Beiber-Fever (spiders I can handle and heights are no match for me, but an endless soundtrack of “Baby, Baby, Baby Oh”? Now that is something to be terrified of for surely–no offense to all of the Beliebers out there).

No, the type of fear that I am talking about is the sneaky kind. The kind that often looks and seems harmless from the outside, but is chock-full of anxiety and worry, causing many a sleepless night. Brave and confident I may seem, this fear tends to rear its ugly head (and smelly foot) in my life any and every chance it gets.

I fear that I am missing out on life, on all of the exciting and adventurous and amazing opportunities that it can bring.

…but I also fear that by taking a risk and going after these opportunities, I might fail.

I fear being hurt by others.

…but I also fear that I might miss out on a chance to form meaningful and long-lasting relationships.

I fear the unknown.

…but I also fear that things will never change.

I fear making hasty decisions.

…but I also fear I over-think too much.

(Clearly this post is leaning towards the latter, ahem.)

For the longest time, I thought that these fears were normal, that everyone at some point in their lives battled these feelings and thoughts. I thought that I was just being smart, that I was thinking things through and being aware and cautious of all the implications of my choices. The truth is, my fears have been a disable for me. They have turned me away from opportunities and experiences and relationships that I could have had, all because I was afraid and scared of the unknown, the not-knowing, the constant topsy-turvy flip of the coin. Life is only as good as what you make it, and by letting fear take a hold of me, I was not “living” to my full potential.

I have thankfully learned that these fears are not normal and have combatted them, karate-chopping my way through each fear, one by one (I may seem small but I am feisty–Mr. Miyagi knows his stuff). Over the span of just a few months, I have been through many changes; I moved to a new city, started a new job, am living on my own away from family and close friends for the first time, not  to mention having to evict, with force, the neighborhood of spiders that seem to have taken up my residence at the moment (ICK!). At first, each of these ‘changes’ was a fear of mine, something that I was slightly nervous about doing or trying but with the completion and conquering of each one, came the added strength to tackle the next. I started to like how it felt to finally be free of all of these extra and useless thoughts taking over my mind. I liked how it felt not to worry about the worse-case-scenario all of the time and just go for it, balls to the wall, full speed ahead. I like to think that now, I wouldn’t necessarily say enjoy taking risks, but I don’t turn away at the sight of them. I am more courageous and willing to try new things go out of my comfort zone a bit. Like I always say (actually, I just kind of made this up but from now on I am totally saying it), you never know how strong a rubber band is until you stretch it.

But it’s not just about taking risks. Sure, taking risks can be a great thing and a wonderful way to overcome fear, but it isn’t the only alternative to being free from it. If you ask me, freeing ourselves from these fears, these anxieties and worries, is one of the most basic steps we must take in order to just…live. And live fully and completely.

One way that I have found to help me overcome these fears, especially in a world where there seems to be a reason to be afraid around every corner, is through God. He has given me the strength and hope and faith that things will be okay. That I don’t have to be alone in my fight. That by defining his love through my actions and thoughts, it is defining a life of greatness. I have been through  many things in my short 24 years of life, have trudged up many hills, stumbled over many road blocks and crossed over many raging rivers, and you know what? It wasn’t easy. But with each challenge, with each fight, I have overcome and I have gotten stronger. That to me, it the exact opposite of fear. Franklin D. Roosevelt once famously said,” The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Franky, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

So the next time fear takes you for a ride, open your eyes, put your hands up, and show it that you are not afraid. Life is full of rollercoasters, loop-D-Loops and twists and turns. All you have to remember is that with the big man upstairs in control, you have nothing to be afraid of…except for maybe those darned spiders…and Justin Beiber.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Question of the day: What is something you are afraid of?